The Journey Begins!

Finally after a few false starts the trip to the new role and new adventure in Cape Town has begun!

I am currently in Dubai on an overnight stay where I finally get to South Africa a month later than expected due to the delays in obtaining a visa. The whole process for visa obtaining has been an interesting, complex and sometimes daunting one, and currently only a 90 day business visa is in my possession, but at least this is a start, and it will mean a ‘forced’ return back to Oz late December. Hopefully the permanent visa process can be arranged in the interim, but this is a multi step process with many documents, business cases and other justifications to be able to successfully obtain.

Obtaining the visa requires seeking skills assessment qualifications to show that the role requires an expat, and that I can offer learning and development opportunities to the local workforce whilst there to pass on skills, which I guess is good in a way, and I am sure getting an Australian working visa is just as challenging to allow the local country to protect its own workforce, so I get it.

The long awaited visa is here!

At least I can can finally get there tomorrow night and start in my new role, move into my new apartment at the V&A Waterfront, and start the overall business and personal processes to get settled, something I am looking forward to, as it has not been the same working remotely from home the last month, without actually really being on the ground to have full awareness of the business or the team.

My new home – with a view

Having been working and living away from the family on and off since last December did kind of make the departure a but easier last night, but still a challenge and a feeling of abandoning them as I head off, and not getting to see them until December, and again missing key events…I did get to spend this week with Josh for his 14th birthday, but Madi turns 17 next week and hopefully gets her P’s for driving, my 20th year wedding anniversary is in 4 days, and many other birthdays and day to day school and sporting events shall again be missed….something that is my doing, but also I have to keep telling myself that this opportunity is one to help my family long term with the short term frustrations.

So, my last day of so called freedom is here, and I am looking forward to the challenges, the rewards and the overall experiences I shall have in a new country and continent and I am sure I will again meet some awesome people, and hopefully make a difference to several lives as well as the business….so bring it on!